THE REASON FOR HITLERISM
[To the Editor of the SrErryTon.1 append a translation of portions of a letter received a few days ago from a German friend. The writer is a dis- tinguished young scholar, a graduate of Heidelberg, who Ilan always taken up a position in favour of reconciliation and peace. Feeling, as I do, that his observations 'would be read with a good deal of interest and sympathy by those English people who do not regard the Treaty of Versailles as a model of judicial rectitude, I venture to hope you may be able to had a place for them in the columns of the Speetator.—I am, sir, &e., B. J. DALE.
28. Elsrcorthy Road, Primrose Hill, N.W. 3.
Extract from a letter from Dr. Hans Gunther, of Heidelberg.
The Hitler movement is strongly conditioned by the attitude of former enemy countries. It is a fact that distress in Germany
lapidly increasing. Above all, the reserves which help one to nary en in time of need no longer exist. We have already over Gave million unemployed, and the number is daily increasing. Yoreign countries fail to disarm : agreements are concluded at Ceeers which have no genuine reality the payments under the Voting Plan press very heavily, particularly because, in contrast 10 the Dawes Plan, the Young Plan demands more payments in ciocit than deliveries in kind. The old parties have shown them- selves unable to solve our inner-political problems. As a conse- quence, the•feeling of discontent is very great, and is only too ea,* intensified. One cannot, however, overlook the fact of foreign responsibility for this position. Just imagine—the myth of war-guilt is still allowed to stand, twelve years after the ' Peace ' of Versailles ; in spite of the fact that leading scholars, not only Clermany,•but mother lands as well, have testified in a contrary sense. Consider, further' the Polish Corridor. It is absolutely out of the question that East Prussia should remain permanently severed from the Reich.
-Within measurable time three questions will have to be cleared nip the repudiation of the war-guilt myth; • a scaling-down of the reparation payments (which, according to foreign opinions, are not exactly a blessing for the Entente Powers); and the carrying
■ mt of disarmament by France, &e. As far as these matters are toncerned, I agree with the Hitler movement. There is no talk at all of force, or of war. Those are sheer calumnies. But how tar: one expect the German people to tolerate the gigantic arma-
ments maintained by its ex-enemies It is because the Parties of the Left in Germany have not put up a stout enough defence against foreign pretensions that the Hitler party continues to gain such powerful support. In the next Reichstag there may well be 200 Hitlerites, instead of the present 107. Wo [the writer and his wife] did WOE vote for Hitler at the last election. I still hold firmly to the thought and the hope of a peaceful solution of these problems. I believe, too, that in foreign countries a now generation is growing up which, in the long rim, will refuge to be ossociated with a policy of force. But, in view of the pttitude of ex-enemy countries, how can one expect a German to think on pacifist lines—although he has the best intentions and wishes to plusue a policy of reconciliation Pp to now it has been the Germans who desired peace, and who have disarmed, and the reports that we are secretly arming are really old wives' tales In view of the organized system of espionage which exists, how would it be possible to manufacture armaments ? And if we had denble the amount, which we ought to have, it would still be ludicrous in comparison to the immense armament which France alone possesses ! It is certainly understaudable if Germans have lost faitli, when one considers the hypocritical attitude of the former Allies, but of France in particular, in the three matters of war-guilt, reparations and disarmament. It cannot be denied that, among thoughtful people in all countries, there exists a sub- stantial number of pacifists. I cannot, however, believe that if serious danger threatened their influence would carry any weight."
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